Adjustable nose pad for spectacles



March 21, 1950 E. A. BRANDT 2,501,259

ADJUSTABLE NOSE PAD FOR SPECTACLES Filed May 29, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE NOSE PAD FOR SPECTACLES Edward A. Brandt, River Grove, Ill.

Application May 29, 1947, Serial No. 751,249

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to eyeglass frames and methods of making and adjusting the same.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of improved eyeglass frames and methods of making or adjusting the same by means of which the eyeglasses may be individually adjusted at the nose section thereof so that it will conform to the contour of the nose of the wearer Without necessity for bending the frame.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved nose pads for eyeglass frames which are adapted to be integrally secured to eyeglass frames of th same material for the purpose of extending the frame outward or to allow the frame to rest upon the nose at the proper position for each individual patient.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved method of making extreme adjustments for eyeglasses at the nose section thereof, and an improved form of nose pad which can be shaped to the contour of the nose at the time the patient is being fitted with the glasses.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved eyeglass frame construction which is sturdy and light, which may be adjusted to a perfect fit, and which is adapted to maintain its fit substantially throughout the life of the eyeglasses.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved mode of fitting eyeglass frames which permits one adjustment of the eyeglass frames to the nose of the patient without twisting or turning the frames, and without necessity for spending a great deal of time or requiring a number of visitson the part of the patient.

A'further object of the invention is the provision of an improved frame construction and frame pad for eyeglassesby means of which the pad may be temporarily secured on the frame, to be tested by the wearer, and thereafter adjusted into the exact position desired, while the pads are so held on the frame, after which they may be permanently secured in such adjusted position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved eyeglass frame provided with adjustable pads for engaging the bridge of the nose, which permits the adjustment of the pads in practically every direction to secure the proper tilt with respect to the frame and to se cure the proper position of the pads on the frame for each individual user.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a pair of eyeglasses equipped with the adjustable pads embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the pair of eyeglasses of Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of one of the adjustable pads as seen from the top and outer side, that is, the side toward the frame;

Fig. 5 is a similar view in perspective of the pad as seen from the top and rear inside of the pad.

The eyeglass framesand adjustment pads embodying the present invention are preferably made out of a suitable plastic, such as, for example, a cellulose acetate or a cellulose acetate butyrate, which may be purchased on the open market under the name of Tenite. This plastic is soluble in various solvents, such as acetone or acetic acid, or chloroform, the preferred solvent being acetone.

Various other modern plastics may be employed, such as, for example, the acrylic resins or-methyl methacrylate, known on the market as Lucite or Plexiglas, and which are also capable of being dissolved by the same solvents. In the latter case, both the frames and the adjustment pads should again be made of the same plastic, so that they can be integrally joined together and bonded by a partial dissolving of the surface of both the adjustment pad and the frame at the point of application and juncture.

The eyeglass frames or spectacles with which the present invention may be employed may be of many different shapes and types, and the one which has been selected to illustrate the invention is merely exemplary of one form.

This eyeglass frame has a pair of frames or supporting members 10, H for the glasses I'Z, l3, the supportingmembers I 0 and II being joined by an integral nose bridge piece M.

The frames may comprise a complete endless loop about the glass IE or I 3, or in some cases may merely comprise the upper curved portions I5, l6 and the depending portions ll, I8 on each side of the nose. Such frames customarily come with a nose pad already attached to the depending portions H, 18 at the edges i9, 20 thereof. The attached nose pads must, naturally, be placed in an average predetermined position so that they do not fit the individual physiognomy of the wearer; and these attached nose pads are preferably removed.

They can be removed by being bent backward and forward until they are broken off at the point of juncture at the edges l8 and 19. The nose pads constructed according to the present invention are indicated in their entirety by the numerals 2|, 22, and these are preferably constructed as right hand or left hand members, one of each being employed upon each pair of glasses.

The present nose pads are shown in perspective in Figs. 4 and 5 and in section in Fig. 3. They are preferably provided with a body portion 23 of substantial thickness and of sufficient strength to support a pair of flanges 24, 25 which border a groove 26 for receiving the depending portions ll and i8 of an eyeglass frame.

The groove 26 is preferably under-cut and slightly larger at 2! and 28 than the thickness of the eyeglass frame, thus providing aclearance and providing room for cement 29 between the walls of the groove and the depending portions I I of the eyeglass frame.

Adjacent the end of each flange 24, 25 the flange is preferably provided with an inwardly extending curved rib 30 or 3] which is adapted to clamp the lateral surfaces 32, 33 of the eyeglass frame.

The shape of the pad may vary according to the particular needs of the wearer, but the pad is preferably curved upwardly and downwardly,

that is. in the direction in which the groove 28 extends; and the groove 25 is open at both ends 34, 35.

The curvature of the base 36 of the groove is preferably substantially complementary to they curvature of the depending portions l? and $8 of the eyeglass frames at the edges [9 and 20.

On its rear side 31 (Fig. 3) the pad is preferably substantially blunt in its curvature, being curved on a relatively large radius. The same is true of the curvature on its inner side 38. The curvature of the pad is gradually increased at 39 toward the lower and inner side, and the pad terminates in a bluntly curved edge at 40.

The bluntly curved edge 40 may be seen in Fig. 4 to be substantially circular in elevation; and for lightness the pad may be hollowed out at M on the same side on which the groove 26 is located.

Pads which are made of the plastics mentioned have the capability that they may have their flanges 24, 25 pressed together by the operator to decrease the width of the groove 26 at will.

The depending portions 1! and iii of the standard frames are also widest at their edge portions 19 and 20. Thus the flanges 24, 25 of the pads may be so adjusted as to their spacing that they will snap on the depending portions ll and I8 and will be retained thereon by clamping the portions l1 and 18 between the flanges 24 and 25, at least temporarily.

' The method of adjusting the pads and securing them to suit the individual needs of a user is as follows: After the eyeglass frame has been selected and the attached pads have been removed from the rear face thereof, a pair of the present pads may have their flanges 24 and 25 adjusted either by pinching them together or spreading them apart so that they are adapted to be temporarily but adjustably secured by clamping the depending portions I1 and I8 of the eyeglass frames which are located on either side of the nose. The resilient clamping action of the flanges 24 and 25 on the outwardly flaring front and rear surfaces 32, 33 of the rim is sufficient to hold the pads on the rim, but the pads may be slid up and down on the curved edges of the rim, and due to the clearance provided in the groove may be ro tated backwardly or forwardly upon the longitudinal axis of the groove to adjust the pads to the best fitting position for the pads and to the position which will hold the eyeglasses for 0ptimum vision.

Then a right hand and a left hand pad 22 and 2! may be applied by snapping them on over the edge portions l9 and 20 on the depending parts ll and H3. The eyeglasses may then be placed upon the face of the wearer, with the lenses adjusted to the proper position for best vision.

In doing this the pads 2| and 22 may be slid upward or downward in order to adjust the pads exactly into best engagement with the bridge of the nose, when the eyeglasses are at their best adjustment. The pads 2| and 22 are not necessarily always adjusted to the same height, although this is desirable from the point of view of symmetry of appearance.

They are preferably adjusted to the best position to hold the glasses in the proper position for best vision. In some cases it may be desirable to rotate the pad slightly upon an axis which is at right angles to the plane of the paper in Fig. 3. In such case this is permitted by the curvature and clearance at 21, 28 and 3B.

The intervening space is then filled in with cement, which preferably comprises a plastic mixture of the same material of which the pads and eyeglass frames are made.

In other cases it may not be desirable to force the pads on the edges 19 and 20 until the base of the groove 36 engages the edges l9 and 28 at both ends of the groove. One end of the groove, such as, for example, the upper end 35, may have its base 36 tightly engaging the edges 19 and 20, while the other end of the groove, such as the end 35 below, may be pivoted inward to place the pads in position to engage a particularly narrow nose.

In such case the space between the edges I9 and 2B is preferably filled up with cement, such as the cement seen at 28 in Fig. 3. With the eyeglasses on the patient, the pads 2i and 22 may be moved up or down or pivoted inward or outward or rotated forward or backward until they are in the best possible position for the particular physiognomy of the patient.

They may then be secured in place by means of cement, as described; or in some cases it will only be necessary to use a suitable solvent, such as acetone, which melts sufficient of the inner surface of the grooves to make them sticky; and the same takes place on the adjacent surface of the eyeglass frames, so that the pad becomes integrally welded to the frame.

Thus the pads are then permanently secured by means of cement or by solvent welding so that they will remain in the desired position throughout the life of the glasses.

One of the most important advantages of the present invention lies in the fact that the pads can be temporarily secured in any of a multiplicity of adjusted positions on the eyeglass frames in adjusting the pads and permanently securing them in the final adjusted position.

My method of adjusting eyeglass frames comprises the temporary application of nose pads to the frames by clamping the nose pads on the framesby 'imeans of-opposed shoulders onthe nose pads so thatthe eyeglasses maythen be tried on by the patient. The method includes the adjustmeht ofthe pads bysliding themup ward or downward orpivoting them inward or outward on the frames or by a limited amount of backward or forward tilting, whilethe pads are thus clamped on the frames, in order to fit themaccurately to the nosegof the wearer.

"The method includesmaking these adjustments When an adjustment is made by bending or twisting, the adjustment is not permanent because the frame has a predetermined amount of resiliency which will eventually tend to move the frame back into the position which it had before it was adjusted by bending or twisting.

The finished job should, of course, include the removal of all material necessary for removing roughness and polishing, and to remove any lines or irregularities that might cause discomfort to the patient.

It will thus be observed that I have invented an improved eyeglass construction, including nose pads which may be temporarily secured in such manner that they may be adjusted to the nose of the patient and then removed and permanently secured. By this means a standard eyeglass frame may be fitted exactly to the needs of each patient.

The bending of the frames is unsatisfactory in making adjustments because the elasticity of the frames tend to cause them to revert to their original set; and therefore frames which have been adjusted by'bending of the frames result in complaints and repeated visits on the part of the patient. The building up of the frames at the points necessary to support the glasses in proper position on the nose of the patient results in a final and exact fit, with which the patient is initially and permanently satisfied.

While I have illustrated a preferred. embodimerit of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An eyeglass frame structure comprising an eyeglass supporting frame having a nose bridge portion, joining a pair of lens supporting members, said members comprising rims having curved diverging rim portions located below said bridge portion, and the diverging rim portions having outwardly flaring back and front surfaces, said rims having front and back plane surfaces and a pair of nose pads, each pad having a body provided with a rearwardly projecting flange having a curved border, and each body having an inwardly facing nose-engaging surface and having an oppositely disposed groove, said groove being curved longitudinally tm'ubstantially the same'curvatureas' thedi-i verging rim portions and being bounded'bye 1 pair of resilient clamping flanges havinginwardly facing curved rim clamping surfaces, for engaging the outwardly flaring surfaces of said rim, said grooves being enlarged inwardly of their saidclamping surfaces. to clear said rim and to permit limited rotary adjustment about,

the longitudinal axis of said groove, while held by said clamping flanges on said rims, the clearance between said grooves and rims having a cement filling to. secure the :pads'and rims. permanently in adjusted position for optimum vision of the wearer.

2. A nose pad for temporary securement by clamping action on the wedge-shaped depending rim portions of an eyeglass frame-on either side I of the nose, and for permanent securement by cementing, comprising a body of initially plastic I material of elongated oval shape having asmooth convexly curved surface for engaging the nose,

said body having a rearwardly projecting curved flange and having opposite to said convex surface a longitudinally extending groove, the said groove being bounded by front and rear clamping flanges, for engaging the front and rear of the wedge-shaped portions of said rims, and said flanges having inwardly facing curved rim engaging portions and the groove being enlarged inside said rim engaging portions to provide a clearance, the said groove being curved longitudinally to substantially the curvature of the rim portion on which it is to be secured, so that the-pad may have its clamping flanges adjusted by pinching until they grip the rim, and the pad may be temporarily held on the rim by the clamping flanges while the eyeglass frame is fitted to the user, the clearance being employed for a cement filling to hold the pad in permanently adjusted position for maximum vision.

3. In an eyeglass frame, the combination of a supporting frame having a nose bridge portion, said nose bridge portion joining a pair of lens supporting members and being substantially in the same plane as said lens supporting members, said lens supporting members having downwardly extending and outwardly curved portions on each side of the nose of the wearen'below the nose bridge, the said curved portions having front and rear plane surfaces and tapering inwardly toward the lens so that the depending portions are substantially wedge shape, with a pair of nose pads, the said nose pads each including a curved nose-engaging surface and an elongated body provided on the side opposite to the nose-engaging surface, with a wedge shaped groove substantially larger than the wedge shaped depending portions of the frames, the said groove terminating in a pair of curved clamping flanges which. engage said plane surfaces and permit the pad to be rotated forwardly and backwardly about the longitudinal axis of the pad, the said pad also having its groove curved longitudinally in substantially the same curvature as the said depending portions at their edges so that the pad may be slid upward and downward on the depending portions, the pads separating as they move downward, due to the fact that the depending portions diverge, thus permitting a spacing adjustment between the two pads, and cement in said groove for holding the pads flrmly to the frames after the pads have been adjusted in position on the face of the wearer, the said groove in each pad being definedby a pair of outwardly projecting flanges on the front and 7 8 back of the rim, which flanges can be pinched Number Name Date together to clamp the pads temporarily upon 1,708,208 Day Apr. 9, 1929 the rim while the cement hardens. 1,742,163 Levy Dec. 31, 1929 EDWARD A. BRANDT. 2,003,846 Wolfi June 4, 1935 5 2,093,121 Adams Sept. 14, 1937 REFERENCES CITED 2,269,037 Oker Jan. 6, 1942 The following references are of record in the FOREIGN PATENT file of this patent:

' 1 Number Country 1 Date.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 433,650 Great Britain Aug. 19, 1935 Number Name D 518,938 Great Britain Mar. 12, 1940 222,123 Blethen Dec, 2, 1879 872,146 France Feb. 5, 1942 

